Despite the controversysurrounding it, medical tourismhas been on the rise. People aretraveling to different countriesfor cosmetic procedures, plasticsurgery and reproductive care.Julie Munro, president of theMedical Travel Quality Alliance,believes there are two reasonswhy it is becoming more popular.First, the internet has increased theexposure. Secondly, the growingmiddle class around the world.The affect that this will have onthe esthetic industry as a whole isstill unknown. With the increasedexposure through social media andthe internet, more people mightopt for medical tourism becauseof the cheaper cost, which couldpotentially impact North Americanesthetic services.

The Medical Travel Quality
Alliance has also ranked the top 10
best hospitals for 2017, as listed here:

1. Asklepios Klinik Barmbek
(Hamburg, Germany)

Crossing the Border:
Medical Tourism on the Rise

2. Clemenceau Medical Center
(Beirut, Lebanon)

3. Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta
(Bagalore, India)

4. Gleneagles Hospital (Singapore)

5. Prince Court Medical Center
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

6. Shouldice Hospital (Toronto,
Canada)

7. The Speciality Hospital
(Amman, Jordan)

8. Samitivej Hospital (Bangkok,
Thailand)

9. Christus Muguerza
Super Speciality Hospital
(Monterrery, Mexico)

10. Anadolu Medical Center
(Istanbul, Turkey).

The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved
Bavencio* (avelumab) to treat
patients 12 years and older with
metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, a
rare and aggressive skin cancer.

The drug was shown effectiveafter 33% of the patients in themelanoma. With this approval, Ibelieve there is new hope for peopleand their families touched by this rareform of skin cancer,” added, DeborahS. Sarnoff, M.D., president of the SkinCancer Foundation.trial study saw a response. Ofthe 88 patients in the trial, 11%saw a complete response andthe remaining 22% saw a partialresponse. Response time rangedfrom 2. 8 to over 23. 3 months.“Merkel cell carcinoma is rarerthan some of the more well-knownskin cancers; however, it’s veryaggressive and the proportion ofpeople who die from MCC is muchhigher than that of people with*Bavencio is a trademark of EMD Serono, abusiness of Merck KGaA. It was developed incooperation with Pfizer.